In this article, we explore why the Raspberry Pi is more successful than Odroid boards and other SBCs.

What Is a Raspberry Pi and What Can It Do?

As I’ve grown accustomed to explaining, no, a Raspberry Pi is not a tasty dessert. Rather, it’s a tiny computer roughly the size of a credit card. Onboard, the Raspberry Pi includes all of the components required to function as a PC. Just add an operating system and peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse.

The Odroid XU4 for instance yields a performance punch with its octa-core processing and twice the RAM of the Raspberry Pi 3. In its benchmarking, Love Our Pi compared SBC CPU performance and found the Banana Pi M3, Odroid XU4, and Odroid C2 each besting the Raspberry Pi 3 in many tests.

Why Raspberry Pi Is More Successful Than Other SBCs

Despite plentiful Raspberry Pi alternatives, the Pi remains a top choice among single-board computers. Its main advantages include a low price, tons of community support, lots of Raspberry Pi project ideas, and a bevy of accessories.

Considering its widespread use, the Raspberry Pi stays at the forefront of the SBC market. Here’s why the Raspberry Pi is more successful than the Odroid XU4 and other SBC competitors.

Raspberry Pi Accessories

There’s no competition when it comes to available Raspberry Pi accessories. You’ll find everything from Raspberry Pi camera options to Raspberry Pi touchscreen devices, and loads of cases. I upgraded to a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) model Raspberry Pi 3 B for my Raspberry Pi 3 B+ running RetroPie. On the front, the RetroFlag NESPi case sports functioning power and reset buttons.

Yet, Raspberry Pi accessories extend well beyond cases. Indeed, the Pi boasts what’s likely the largest array of case options for any SBC. But it’s maker-oriented add-ons such as Pi HATs that make the Raspberry Pi an adaptable device. Available Pi HATs include power-over-Ethernet (PoE) adapters.

Moreover, the Raspberry Pi features plenty of buying options, from the standalone board to comprehensive kits. Its GPIO pins make the Pi a truly utilitarian device.

Affordability

Sure, there are plenty of Raspberry Pi alternatives on the market. However, low pricing makes the Pi a top choice. Whereas the Odroid XU4 retails for $62 for the board alone, a kit costs about $90.

That’s definitely reasonable for the hardware, but the Raspberry Pi is ultra-affordable at $35 for a Raspberry Pi 3 board. The Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero W retail for $5 and $10 respectively. Though less powerful than the Pi 3, the Zero and Zero W are ideal for less processing intensive tasks.

Raspberry Pi Software Options

Because of its popularity, you gain access to countless Raspberry Pi operating systems. These range from Raspbian, Ubuntu MATE, Kali Linux, and even the infamous Hannah Montana Linux to OpenELEC, OSMC, RetroPie, and Windows 10 IoT core.

Overall, its variety of software, both OSes and applications, makes the Pi a fantastic choice. Compare that to many Raspberry Pi alternatives which rely on third-party community development. The Odroid XU4, for example, is compatible with RetroPie, though the Odroid XU4 RetroPie image is community-created, not an official RetroPie project build.

Raspberry Pi: Yes, It’s Better Than Other SBCS

Ultimately, the Raspberry Pi is a versatile single-board computer which affords tons of project ideas and remains compatible with a variety of operating systems and apps. It’s not necessarily the most powerful SBC on the market, but a balance of computing power, flexibility, affordability, and a thriving community make the Raspberry Pi perfect for everyone from beginners to seasoned makers.

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Tiago Goncalves

May 23, 2018 at 7:29 am

I do not fully agree that the success of RPi is based on its affordability or accessories. I've worked during 3 years with both RPi and Odroid XU3 on drones and I can say that the advantage of RPi is the stability and fiability of its interface drivers. I2C and SPI work like a charm without any problem during long periods of time. Odroid XU3 GigE and USB3 interfaces never had the right transfer rates. That's the reason why companion boards with Pixhawk flight controllers are all based in RPi and not Odroid SBC. The RPi products have solid kerner drivers well adapted to it's hardware which makes it more than a simple SBC like Odroid does but a SBC for the DIY community.

Moe Long is a writer and editor covering everything from tech to entertainment. He earned an English B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Robertson Scholar. In addition to MUO, he has been featured in htpcBeginner, Bubbleblabber, The Penny Hoarder, Tom's IT Pro, and Cup of Moe.